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- Angry youths threaten attack on suspect’s family
From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Palpable tension is presently brewing in the Umuloho community in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State as angry youths of the area threaten to attack a local hotel owner, Ibe Obasi, purported to have killed one of his staff, Ebuka Nwaneri in connivance with a security officer, for allegedly stealing a phone at the weekend.
A source from the community who narrated the incident to our correspondent said that the suspect had accused the deceased of stealing a phone from the hotel belonging to a security officer who came there for relaxation.
The suspect was also accused of allegedly locking him up in a generator house after torture to make him confess to the crime.
But the victim according to the source later died from the alleged torture by the owner of the phone, the hotelier and another suspect who is said to be presently on the run.
In a bid to cover up, the source claimed that the corpse was thrown over the fence of the hotel with an adjoining bush by the suspects which was subsequently found by youths of the community the following morning (Saturday ).
He said “The deceased was working for the suspect and a phone got lost, the phone belonged to a security man securing the community, he went there for relaxation and his phone got lost, the hotelier and the security officer in a bid to recover the phone started beating him, before locking him up in his generator house inside the premises of the hotel.
“When he found out that he had died, he threw him over the fence of the hotel to avoid being suspected”. The source narrated.
Another source from the community, Chimezie Mbakwe who confirmed the incident has appealed to the police to transfer the case from the Otoko divisional police station where the suspect is being held to the headquarters to avoid mob action.
Angry youths of the community were said to be mobilising for a reprisal attack on the families of the hotelier who incidentally also hails from there, the source has claimed.
Also reacting to the incident, the Youth President of the community, Chinagorom Cyriacus in a statement he released, urged youths of the area to remain calm assuring them that all those responsible would be brought before the law.
He said “We also want to assure the good people of Umulogho that the perpetrators of this inhuman act must be brought to book at all means.
“We also want to urge all more importantly the youths to stay calm and not to take further action or take laws into their hands.
“We want to assure the people that the Leadership of Umulogho Autonomous Community at all levels are working so hard to arrest the situation especially the ongoing Massive Arrest by the military.”
Meanwhile, reliable information gathered from the troubled community has indicated that the State police command has taken absolute control of the looming crisis.
